The traditional base station device has a radio frequency port itself, the test of the radio frequency index usually adopts a conduction testing method, and the reference point of the test is at the radio frequency port of the device.
An active antenna system (AAS), acted as a base station communication subsystem integrated by a multiple channel transceiver and a base station antenna, is an integrated device of the antenna and the multiple channel transceiver, and the interface between them is shown as the internal interface, and it is difficult to perform the radio frequency port test directly on the project, which brings challenges to the test of the active antenna system like this.
The active antenna system is tested by using the conduction test method of the traditional base station device, and the active part and the antenna array part of the active antenna system need to be separated. To the active antenna system, its integrated topological structure is destroyed, and the design complexity is increased and the integrated level of the device is influenced at the same time.
It is usually thought that the space radio frequency (Over The Air, OTA) can be adopted to test the AAS, which can totally test the spatial characteristic and the radio frequency characteristic of the AAS. But the OTA test needs a professional darkroom and synchronization device, and needs a complicated test procedure and longer test duration. And, because its test cost is high and its test efficiency is low, it is more suitable to research and develop and sample authorization test, etc. And it is unnecessary to use the OTA test for the situation, such as, the production batch test, etc.; and for some CE authorization tests at the same time, it requires to be performed under the closed and high and low temperature environment, so it is very difficult to be realized by the OTA test.